U.S. stock futures edged higher on Friday, September 18, as investors extended the positive momentum from Wall Street’s strong rebound following the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 55 points, or 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures rose 0.2% and Nasdaq-100 futures climbed 0.4%.
The early gains followed a strong session on Thursday, when major U.S. stock indexes recovered from the previous day’s sell-off triggered by the Fed’s rate hike. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 316 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.1% and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.7%, with technology stocks leading the recovery.
Market attention has increasingly shifted back toward artificial intelligence and its potential to support corporate earnings despite concerns about higher interest rates and persistent inflation. Invesco Chief Global Market Strategist Brian Levitt said the current market cycle could eventually be tested if major technology companies reduce AI investment or investors begin questioning whether the sector’s heavy spending will generate sufficient returns.
Investors are also watching for further signals from Federal Reserve officials, with Fed Governor Michelle Bowman and Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid scheduled to speak on Friday. Their comments could provide additional insight into policymakers’ thinking after the central bank’s unanimous decision to raise interest rates by 25 basis points and signal the possibility of another increase later in the year.
Asian markets also ended mostly higher, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 rising 1.38%, South Korea’s Kospi gaining 2.66% and mainland China’s CSI 300 advancing 1.06%. European shares, however, moved lower, with the Stoxx 600 falling 0.4%. For the week, the Dow was down 1.5% and the S&P 500 was lower by 0.3%, while the Nasdaq remained positive, gaining 0.3% as investors continued to weigh interest-rate risks against the growth prospects of artificial intelligence.
source: cnbc